Life verses # 1 – Galatians 6:9

From time to time on this blog, I plan to share some of my life verses and why they are important to me.  I will share them in no particular order.  Over twenty years ago now, when I was going through a time of discouragement and uncertainty, a good friend of mine quoted Galatians 6:9 as a word of encouragement. It has remained a fixture in my life since that day…

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9, ESV)

Discouragement and disappointment come the way of every Christian.  However, “growing weary” is when pain and disappointment (or maybe fatigue and stress) build up in our lives until we reach the point where we say, “I’ve had it. I can’t do this anymore….”   This is why the same Greek word is translated “lose heart” in 2 Corinthians 4:1.  We all know the difference between feeling down or having a case of the blues and losing heart.  One is a bad day or week – the other is a dark time of the soul that lingers.  Galatians 6:9 is for those who are about to lose heart and give up.

Notice that this verse speaks of being weary of “doing good.”  We expect that a Christian who is living in disobedience will grow weary, but what about a Christian who is doing their best to live for the Lord?   The truth is that Christians can grow weary of even the best and most important things they are doing. It is possible to grow weary of doing the good things because those good things are not always easy and almost always draining.  Marriage, children, ministry, and careers are examples of good and important things that a Christian can grow weary of.  The truth is that almost every Christian, at some point in their lives, has felt like giving up on their marriage, their children, their church, or their career.  Perhaps a few have felt like giving up on all of them along the way.  Most readers of this blog know exactly what the Bible says when it speaks of “growing weary of doing good” because we’ve been there.  We know the pain of losing heart. Maybe someone reading this blog is going through one of those times right now.

The most powerful part of this verse is the end. It’s a promise…”we will reap, if we do not give up.”   Keep going. Don’t quit.  Live confidently that God will bless.  Believe that God will honor faithfulness, even if it appears to be hopeless.  What a promise!  It doesn’t say to keep going because we are so faithful and wise and hard working. Oh no!  It says to keep going because He is faithful and true!  We can keep going through the darkest times of life because we know that He is faithful.

One of my great heroes from history is man named William Carey.  He is known as the father of modern missions and accomplished great things for the Lord. His gospel work in India is bearing fruit for the Lord to this day. However, William Carey was a man who certainly went through times that he grew weary of doing good. He experienced extreme poverty, the death of a child,  crippling emotional problems of his wife, betrayal by a friend, and years with absolutely no “success” in his work for the Lord.  Yet, William Carey was a living embodiment of Galatians 6:9.  Here is how he described his ability to keep going through horrendous obstacles…

“When I left England, my hope of India’s conversion was very strong; but amongst so many obstacles, it would die, unless upheld by God.  Well, I have God, and His Word is true… though I were deserted by all and persecuted by all, yet my faith, fixed on the sure Word, would rise above all obstructions and overcome every trial.  God’s cause will triumph.”

No matter what you are going through as you read these words, God will uphold your hope too!  His cause will triumph. Stay faithful because of the faithful One!